Snap-hook.



G. EJPHENUC,

SNAP HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED Aus. l. 1917.

1,251,415. Patented Das. 25,1917'.

GEORGE E. IPRENTICE, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

SNAP-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 191'?.

` Application filed August l, 1917. Serial No. 183,976.

To all whom t may Concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE EDWARD PRENTIGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Snap-Hooks, of which the followinois a specification.

1Iy invention relates to improvements in snap-hooks, and theV object of my improvement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and efiiciency in use.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved snap-hook.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale,'on the line 3-3`of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a plan view of the blank Jfor the frame. y

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the trame, with the side arms in position to receive the latch.

My improved 'snap -hook comprises a frame 10, a latch l1, and a spring 1,2, all of which are made of sheet material, and they are adapted to be assembled without separate rivets or separate parts, the frame and latch being permanently connected together and when so connected being adapted to inclose and operativel house the spring when the parts are assem led and to permit the spring to be inserted to the proper position for use without disconnecting the frame and latch or disconnecting the frame from the part to which it is connected, which may be a part of a military accoutrement. In other words, the construction is such as to readily permit of replacing the spring in case of breakage, and, at the same time, the construction is such that the spring is so guarded by the latch as to reduce the liability of breakage by a blow or outside contact to a minimum.

The frame 10 comprises the hook 13 at one end, a transversely directed loop 14 at the other end, and intermediate the said ends is the body portion 15, the saidbody portion having adjacent the loop 14 a pair of wings 16 extending along the lateral edges and of appreciable length that are turned upwardly so as to form the side walls of a channel, designated as 17 in Fig. 6. Just inwardly from the channel 17 is a stop lug 18 on the inner face of the body portion 15, formed preferably integrally by indenting the material of the said body portion.

.The wings 16 are indented so as to provide inwardly directed lugs 19 of rounded form adjacent the outer ends and positioned in spaced relation to the body portion 15.

The material of the hook 13 is indented longitudinally to provide a bearing and strengthening rib 20.

The latch 11 is made from a strip of sheet material of suitable width toffit in the channel 17, between the wings 16, has the outer end curled around to form a sleeve bearing 21 for itting over the rounded lugs 19, which lugs serve as pintles therefor, has a shank portion 22 'extending inwardly from the sleeve 21, generally parallel with the body portion 15, and between the wings 16, and inwardly from the 4said shank portion 22'is the latch portion 23 that serves as the latchv proper. The said latch portion 23 extends upwardly from the shank portion 22 at an appreciablerangle to the body portion 15, as shown, to the end ot the hook 13, a nose 24 at the eXtreme end engaging with the under side of the said end 25 ott" `the hook.

In assembling the frame and latch the wings 16 are bent upwardly so that they will be suiiciently divergent to admit the latch, as shown in Fig. 6, and they are bent further to the final position after the latch has been put in place.

As described, the trame and latch arc permanently connected and they form a complete closed housing suitable for inclosing and guarding the spring.

It will be noted that the shank portion 22 serves as a closure for the upper portion of the channel 17 and the sleeve 21 serves as a partial closure for the outer end portion thereof.

The spring 12 is formed of strip spring material of suitable width to tit between the wings 16 and comprises a spring body 26 ot' U-shape that is housed within the channel 17, below the shank portion 22, the end of the lower arm 27 being in abutment with the stop lug 18, and from the upper arm 2S there extends the contact arm 29, being directed upwardly suitably to contact by its free end with the under side of the latch portion 23 of the latch.

Thus the spring 12 is adapted to hold the nose 24 engaged with the hook end 25l and by reason of the contact with the stop lug 18 and body portion 15 on one side and with the latch arm 23 on the other side is positively held Within the housing formed by the channel 17 and the shank portion or shank arm 22.

The pintle lugs `19, because of the rounded form, operate as ball pivots in coperation with the sleeve 21.

In case of the breakage of a spring, the parts would readily fall out of the housing described or can be easily removed, and the operation of inserting a new spring involves simply inserting the U-shaped body 26 Within the housing until the free end of the lower arm 27 passes over the stop lug 18, when the spring Will open out and will be retained in position by reason of the spring tension, which tends to open out the spring arms 27 and 28.

I claim as my invention 1. A snap-hook comprising a frame, a latch, and a spring, the said frame comprising a hook at one end, a loop at the other end, and a body portion intermediate the said ends, side Wings on the said body portion, forming a channel therewith, and provided With an inwardly directed pintle, a stop lug on the said body portion and positioned between the said Wings and hook, the said latch being pivotally supported by one end by the said pintles, having the other end in bearing engagement with the end of the said hook, having a shank portion adjacent the pivotal connection that serves as a closure for the said channel, and having an arm that serves as t-he latch proper extending from the said shank portion to the said other end, and the said spring comprising a U- shaped body housed in the said channel, the end of one arm being in abutment with the said stop lug, and a contact arm extending from the end of the other arm of the said body to the under side of the said latch proper.

2. In a snap-hook comprising a frame and a latch, the said frame having a pair of Wings in spaced relation, a pair of pintle lugs on the inner faces of the said Wings,`

and a sleeve on one end of the said latch, the ends thereof being pivotally engaged With the said pintle lugs.

3. A snap-hook comprising a frame having a body portion and a hook at one end thereof, a latch pivotally connected to the said body portion and extending across the open space of the said hook, and a spring, the said spring being operatively engaged with the said latch and being entirely covered on one side, from end to end, bv the said latch and the said frame and spring being so constructed and arranged that the spring is removably held in place in the'frame.

4. In a snap-hook, a frame provided With a hook, a latch, and a spring operatively connected, the said frame and latch being permanently connected, a stop lug on the said frame, and the said spring being generally of U-shape and being held in operative position by having the end of one arm in abutment with the said stop lug and the end of the other arm in Contact with the said latch.

' 5. A snap-hook comprising a frame, a latch pivotally supported by the said frame, and a spring for holding the said latch in closed position, the said frame comprising a hook at one end, a loop at 'the other end, and a body portion intermediate the said ends, means on the said frame for coperating with the said spring for holding the said spring in operative position, and the said means being constructed and arranged to permitl the insertion and the removal of the said spring by a longitudinal movement Within the space inclosed by the said body portion and hook.

GEORGE E. PREN TICE. Witness:

EDITH C. PREN'iicE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

